Hello everyone!
Well March is almost done and the first quarter of the year has flown by...even though it feels like it should be more than three months because January slogged on forever.
I'm not gonna lie, I feel like I struggled with getting going this year. I've floundered in trying to find a good daily rhythm with writing, the kids' school, and everything else we have going on...which isn't even that much, but sometimes it feels like a lot! There never feels like there's enough time in the day, and the to-do list grows ever longer...
I've been struggling a lot with depression this year as well. It seems like there's a cloud hanging over me that I just can't quite shake, nor can I pinpoint the cause. Certainly my chronic illnesses are partially, if not fully, to blame. The good thing is that as the daffodils and hyacinths have slowly unfurled from the ground in my front garden, the cloud seems to be dissipating. I'm trying to learn to take things one day at a time and not expect too much of myself, while also balancing my need to get things done and off my plate so they don't keep dragging around on my to-do list.
To help facilitate the clearing of my to-do list, I ended up taking off the last couple of weeks of March. And it has worked! I've not gotten a ton of writing stuff done, but I've gotten so much admin work finished up. I may have hated the idea, but it's clear that this little mini-hiatus was the correct decision. Thank you all so much for being patient with me!
(And as another thank you, be sure to read to the end of the email for a discount code for The Case Files of Owan Craig!)
READING
The mystery obsession is finally ended! Sort of, anyway.
I finally got the next Lord Peter Wimsey book in the mail yesterday, so I'm sure I'll be back to reading that series soon. In the meantime, I decided to crack open some more sciencey fare than I usually pick.
I finally picked up A Wrinkle In Time again after not reading it since I was a kid, and... I may have started tearing up a time or two. I'll eventually write more about my re-encounter with this beautiful book, but I want to save it for a time when I can dedicate an entire post to it.
I tried reading the Dragonriders of Pern books years and years ago, but could never really get interested. I decided to give Dragonflight a shot again and actually kind of enjoyed it this time? Most of the characters annoyed me (I wanted to crack Lessa and F'lar's heads together and tell them to stop acting like toddlers a few times), but I really enjoyed the worldbuilding. It was so neat to me to see a fantasy story made up of a world that once clearly was very technologically advanced. I'm probably going to continue reading the series...though I hope the characters get a bit better!
The Vorkosigan Saga is another series that I've seen pop up time and time again, and so far have avoided as I'm rarely in the mood for science fiction. But I'm on the fourth book in the series (Free Fall) and have really been enjoying it so far! It's accessibly sciencey, but the characters are so well-drawn! They're almost to the depth of Robin Hobb (whose Farseer books are an absolute masterclass in how to write deep, complex characters.)
WRITING
...yup, still working on Knights of the Faerie Queens.
I'm not sure why this story continues to kick my butt this much.
I wish I had more to say here, but I don't.
I'm just going to keep plugging away at it.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
I did get a couple of short stories posted in the last month or so!
The Cat and the Dragon is a cute little drabble about a curio-shop kitten who discovers a new friend.
Cottonwood is a flash fiction I wrote inspired by one of Scoot's writing prompts.
By the Ticking of Your Heart is a little vignette I wrote years ago, so many years I've forgotten the inspiration or if there ever was more to the story.
And FINALLY!...
Glamour Dust: Season 1 is LIVE!
Glamour Dust: Season 1 contains the five short stories I published here in my Glamour Dust section (A-10; Busy Hands; Gears, Grease, and a Little Bit of Magic; Old Fashioned; Widdershins to Magic) in 2024. The audiobook is upcoming, but right now the ebook is live and you can find it on your favorite store, or buy it direct from me on Ko-Fi! (The Case Files of Owan Craig is also live wide, and my urban fantasy series is soon to follow.)
HOUSEKEEPING
As I mentioned above, I took a little break during the last half of March. We're getting back to a more normal posting schedule in April...here's what the first couple of weeks will look like!
April 4: Knights of the Faerie Queens, part 11
April 9th: Audio short story, The Lightning Piskie
April 11th: Knights of the Faerie Queens, part 12
Another fun thing--I will be at the Illuminate conference March 31st-April 1st! Illuminate is an arts + faith conference, something much different than the usual writers' conferences I attend (although there are plenty of writing-focused sessions at Illuminate!) I'm so excited to be attending this conference...I'm looking forward to a wonderful time of fellowship and creative-well-filling with other Christian artists across all disciplines, as well as learning from people like Douglas McKelvey (writer of my favorite liturgy books, Every Moment Holy.)
I'm looking forward to April!
Thank you for your continued support of this publication and my writing! As a thank you, I have a code available for my Ko-Fi store for a 50% discounted ebook of The Case Files of Owan Craig! The sale goes until April 4th, so be sure to take advantage of it while you can! (And feel free to share this newsletter/the discount with your friends!)
Slán agus beannacht!1
Goodbye and Blessings
I am a HUUUGE Lous McMaster Bujold fan … her Vorkosigan series is the best. I tend to start channeling Mikes after reading one of the books he’s featured in (which is not exactly a good thing to be so manic but 🤷♀️) … it peaks with “A Civil Campaign” so keep reading it goes from fun to great to even better.